Investigating a Question

Students will learn the necessary components of an investigable question. Using this information, they will develop their own question, formulate a hypothesis, and develop a procedure for an investigation about balance.

Activities

Scene: Balancing Act

The Science Scene characters discuss a balance bracelet that they heard improves balance, but want to test the bracelet to see if it really works.

Duration: Approximately 50 minutes

Lesson: Developing Questions for Investigations

Students review what they’ve learned about investigable questions and are introduced to the idea that they must have the time and materials to carry out the investigation for the question to work.

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Lab: Investigating Balance

Students write an investigable question, hypothesis, and procedure. They will conduct an investigation and record data on a data table. Students examine patterns in data and write a claim, evidence, and reasoning statement. They will create a poster that displays the findings of their investigations.

Duration: Approximately 70 minutes

Project: Conference Posters

Students present their posters and address questions and concerns from other young scientists.

Duration: Approximately 100 minutes

Reading: Scams through Time

In this passage, “Are scams new?” students will read about the history of scams, such as the Power Balance bracelet, and the origin of the term “snake oil salesman.” They will consider who is ultimately responsible for protecting people from such scams.

Duration: Approximately 25 minutes

Teacher Tune-ups

• How can students benefit from participating in a science fair?
• How are testable questions different than other questions?
• Graphing in Science

Student View of Visuals and Activities

Some teachers prefer to have students view the slides and other visual assets in this unit directly instead of projecting them in class. Below is a web page to share with students with links to the same items within in the teacher lesson plans, but without the explanatory text for the teacher.

 

• Student Links to Unit T6 Slides and Other Visuals

Original SciGen Unit

This unit has been adapted from "6.6 Ready to conduct your own investigation?" in the Word Generation program led by Catherine Snow (Harvard University) through a SERP collaboration with the Boston Public Schools and other districts in Massachusetts and Maryland.

PDFs of that earlier unit's teacher and student editions are available at the Science Generation Download Center.

device

noun – a machine that does a specific task or job

The grocery store manager installed a device on its shopping carts that prevents people from stealing them.

conduct

verb – to carry out a procedure or task

Scientists who conduct several trials produce better data than those who are satisfied with conducting a single trial.

testable

adjective – able to be tested using procedures, measurements, and data to find out answers

The view that teens who play violent video games are more likely to commit violent acts is testable.

initial

adjective – happening at the beginning before other things occur

My initial response to the field trip to the museum was excitement; however, I was less excited when my teacher assigned a five-page report on the exhibit.

investigate

verb – to try to figure out the truth about something by learning more about it

Related form: investigation (noun)

When Janine said the dryer wasn’t working, her mother went to the basement to investigate.

determine

verb – to find out the facts about something

The fire chief determined the source of the fire was old electrical wires.